Work experience, placements and employability

Having a job while studying at university has its obvious benefits. The extra money coming in allows me to pay for food, my social life and that treat of a bar of chocolate I plan on buying after my last exam of the season. But having this level of financial independence is not the only benefit. From my experience, there are so many others which aren’t often thought about. Continue reading →

I’m living the university version of Blue Planet. As my housemates navigate the open waters of third year, I’m watching from the outside like Sir David himself – If Sir David were 20, on a placement year, and satisfied with the limited supply of wildlife living in Crookes Valley pond. Continue reading →

It’s that time of the year again – final year undergraduates and postgraduates battle their way into the highly competitive graduate job market in the hope of finding suitable (and exciting!) career prospects. Continue reading →

Working part time can sometimes feel like its impacting negatively on your studies, but I believe there are many more positives in earning your own money. Something I first found odd coming to uni was no one had a job, not even during half terms. Whereas, back home, you were the odd one out if you didn’t work.

I’m not saying working part time alongside your studies, even during half terms, is good for everyone, especially depending on contact hours. But I do think it can improve your job prospects after uni, and, as cliché as it may sound, help you develop into a more well-rounded individual. Continue reading →

I have worked in many weird and wonderful jobs in the past from a paper factory, to a Chinese takeaway – but an exhibition assistant? I did not see that one coming.

When I came to Sheffield as a fresher in 2014 one of the first things on my to-do list after a week of partying was the dreaded job hunt. I went to the careers fair, applied online at various pubs and clubs and finally landed myself part time work in a kitchen in the November. My job gave me an escape from University life and the chance to meet new friends. I think that it is easy to feel overwhelmed in your first year, especially living in University accommodation, surrounded solely by students. Part time work can offer some much needed balance. Continue reading →

Whether you’re in your first year or already in your final year, it is not unusual to find yourself stumped when asked what you want to do after you graduate. You may be considering a few options or wondering what your options are. Either way, the Careers Service e-mentoring programme could be useful in helping you get through this process of figuring out your next steps. Continue reading →

As an English Language and Linguistics graduate, the first assumption people made when I first met them was that I’m going to be a teacher. There were times prior to my graduation where I would come up blank with ideas of what to do after university. Fast forward six months, I’m back in the city that was once my second home, sitting in HR Media’s office on my second internship in PR. Continue reading →

After finishing third year exams and squeezing in a family holiday, I moved to Manchester for a year placement at an engineering company. As expected, it’s a very different experience from student life in Sheffield, but one I’m glad to be having. There’s a long list of reasons I chose a placement year, including career prospects and applying my degree knowledge. It’s been a big transition with a lot of differences but the odd similarity too. Continue reading →

My name is Hannah and I’m a soon-to- be graduate from the department of music at Sheffield University. Although I’m not a regular blogger for the We Are Sheffield Student page, I’ve spent the past week gaining work experience with the Student Communications Team and so I’m really excited to be featuring as a guest writer today.